MLB: Top 15 Active Players Most Likely to Join Derek Jeter in 3,000 Hits Club

On Saturday, July 9th, 2011, Yankees star Derek Jeter took Rays pitcher David Price deep into the left field stands, cementing his legacy and etching his name in baseball history.

Jeter became the 28th hitter in history to achieve the monumental accomplishment of 3,000 hits, joining the likes of Roberto Clemente, Ricky Henderson, and Willie Mays.

We won't see another player enter the ranks of the 3,000 hits club this year, but many veterans and fearsome hitters in their own rights could very possibly see hit 3,000 in the next few years. Others, like Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, are still young but have very good shots at reaching the milestone.

To achieve 3,000 hits, you can't just have a few good seasons. You have to maintain production for well over a decade, and establish yourself as a valuable-enough player that teams will still sign you into your mid-30's, involving both longevity and health.

Without further ado, let's take a look at 15 players who could very well reach 3,000 hits in their major league career.

No. 15: David Wright, New York Mets

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Age: 28

Career Hits: 1182

At 28 years old, Wright is one of the youngest players on this list. But in less than seven full seasons, Wright has established himself as one of the top third basemen and a player who can be the focal point of an offense well into his 30's.

In six full seasons, Wright has a .302 batting average with about 180 hits per season. That is an impressive number which he has been able to sustain, and if he can continue hitting at this pace it'll take him about ten years, give or take a year due to injuries.

Wright has been able to stay healthy throughout his career, although he has had back troubles keeping him sidelined for a good chunk of 2011. If he can avoid battling nagging injuries with that back as he approaches his late 30's, Wright could very well find himself with 3,000 career hits.

No. 13: Michael Young, Texas Rangers

Michael Young has been a lifetime Texas Ranger, and although he doesn't field much anymore he's been productive as the Rangers' DH.

Now that he's entering his mid 30's Young hasn't really showed signed of slowing down, and is on pace for over 200 hits as he did in the prime of his career.

With over 1,000 hits left, Young will cut it close if he is to reach 3,000 hits. It'll probably take him to about 41 years of age, so the Rangers or another team would have to be willing to keep him around, but he has been able to stay healthy for his career which will help him.

No. 12: Bobby Abreu, Los Angeles Angels

Bobby Abreu is one of the more underrated players in the game, but with over 2,300 hits in his career, he could be in the discussion for being a future hall-of-famer.

Abreu has really been largely forgotten by the East Coast since he left Philadelphia and New York. He's also seen a decline in his numbers, particularly his hits.

For a guy who has hit above .300 for a large portion of his career, Abreu hit just .255 last year with 146 hits. Assuming he has about 2400 hits by the end of this season, he would need to average 150 hits for four more years to have a shot.

Abreu has been able to stay healthy, but I have a tough time seeing Abreu around for another four seasons. He will end his career very close, though.

No. 11: Vladimir Guerrero, Baltimore Orioles

Vlad has been one of the top hitters in the game since his days with the Montreal Expos, and at 36 years of age, he still refuses to go away.

Last year, Guerrero continued to put up solid numbers, collecting 178 hits with 27 home runs for a .300 batting average. This year, he's still been decent, with 86 hits halfway through the season.

If he can get close to 400 hits left by the end of this season, I believe Vlad could be at the 3,000 hits threshold with three decent seasons by 39 years of age.

It's a stretch, and my biggest issue is that he's already entering that period where he's starting to bounce around teams on one year tenders, while a guy like Chipper Jones is still with his career team that is committed to keeping him around.

According to the Bill James Handbook of 2011 providing yearly projections for MLB players, Vlad has about a 44 percent chance of reaching 3,000 hits.

No. 9: Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Age: 32

Career Hits: 1,985

Having turned 32 just a couple of months ago, Beltre has already matched the hits total of fellow Rangers teammate Michael Young.

With a resurgent couple of years following being stuck in Safeco Field for several years, Beltre has proven that he can be supremely productive, as evidenced by his All-Star selections and .321 BA last year for the Red Sox.

Projecting close to 900 hits left for Beltre after this season, I'm confident that he could achieve that in about six seasons.

Beltre has never been the star of an offense (close to it when he was in Seattle), but if he can hang around until he's 38 with one-year deals, he has a good shot of reaching 3,000 hits.

Beltre has also been able to stay on the field for much of his career, so the injuries have not impacted him (however, we will see how the mid 30's treats him).

No. 7: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

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Age: 37

Hits: 2343

Ichiro has had 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons since he joined the MLB. You know who else has done that?

Nobody.

What Ichiro has done in just 10 years is truly remarkable, and although he's having a down year, he'll still probably find a way to get his 200 hits. Ichiro is very consistent in his preparation and approach, and I'm confident he will end up close to what his career average dictates.

Ichiro will have about 550 hits to go after this season, and even if he doesn't average 200 hits per year over that stretch, he'll still have it in about three seasons.

Ichiro would be 40 at that point, but given the impeccable shape he strives to keep his body in, that's more like 35 for the average baseball player.

Ichiro definitely has a great shot at 3,000 hits, which would make him a lock for the Hall of Fame.

If he does, combined with his 1,278 hits in Japan, he would have 4,278 career hits. That's more than all-time hits leader Pete Rose.

No. 6: Ivan Rodriguez, Washington Nationals

Pudge Rodriguez is showing his age, and hasn't played more than 130 games (pretty standard for a catcher) since 2006.

He also hasn't had more than 140 hits since then, and really has been relegated to sidekick status as Wilson Ramos has taken over as the primary catcher.

Pudge still has a couple years to get to 3,000 hits, and I'm pretty confident he can do it, but he'll have to sign on as a platoon-type catcher for a team with positional need for a few more years if he want to have a good shot at the 3,000 hit club.

Maybe the Rangers will take him back or something, but he'll definitely have to gut out the last couple of hundred. So close, yet so far away.

No. 4: Johnny Damon, Tampa Bay Rays

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Age: 37

Hits: 2,662

At age 37, Johnny Damon is still hitting and showing he can produce consistently. This season, he's hit nine home runs and 91 hits for a .280 BA.

It's reasonable to assume Damon reaches 2750, with just 250 left. I'm sure that there will be teams willing to give him a job for another couple of years, and if he can just hit 125 hits per season, he'll be in.

No. 3: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

At just 28, Miguel Cabrera has already accrued 1,500 hits, thanks to his early entry into the majors at just the age of 20.

Regardless, Cabrera has established himself as one of the top first basemen in the game, and averages about 190 hits per season.

Even if that were to drop to 180 when he leaves his prime, he is on pace to reach 3,000 hits by age 36. That would make him one of the youngest ever to reach the milestone, and ensure him of Hall of Fame status.

There's really nothing more to say. If the personal issues don't hinder him, Cabrera is a lock for 3,000 hits.